mitten

Oh no! I just got a call from my ex-husband and he's being sent overseas for a week - starting Friday night. This means I've suddenly got the kids with me for the weekend and I won't be able to make the trek and the gathering. I'm heartbroken! I'm so sorry I'll be missing this, and so sorry to be ducking out at such a late date, but I'll be with you all in spirit. Have a great time and I'll send along good wishes for good weather and good food. Laura

I live for depravity, gastronomic or otherwise. And I look forward to meeting others who are so inclined.

Respectful disagreeing is good! And I agree that for QPR, Main Street is largely to be avoided. Others I thought of: Red Hawk on State: their food is pretty creative and always good. In the $10 lunch range, dinner a bit more. Kabob Palace on William: The shwarma in particular is quite good and their portions are huge for the price. Do you have experience with Big World Bakery, tammylc? I've only been there a handful of times, but have friends that swear by it.

Ah - I am re-reading the opening post in this thread and noting the budget consideration. While Ann Arbor is a great town for eating, it is not a great town for eating cheaply. I might suggest Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burgers. It's not right downtown, but you can walk there from downtown easily. Corner of S. Divison and Packard. The other hidden gem is Le Dog. They are only open for lunch and only weekdays and it's take out. However, they have the best lobster bisque you will ever have. Soup is their *thing* and it is all fantastic. They have hot dogs too, but trust me, have the soup. They're located on Main Street, in the block between Liberty and William. The place is tucked into a little oh, I guess you'd call it an arcade (not Nichols Arcade, for those who know that landmark). If you find a store call Mezzanine, you've found the right building. 306 S. Main Street. Also, the original location is still open at 410 E. Liberty.

The Common Grill is better than just okay. Their speciality is fish and they do it both well and creatively. It's not white hot cutting edge cuisine like you might see in one of the big cities on the coast, but it's always fresh and put together with unexpected but delightful ingredients. Another 'special occasion' restaurant is Cousin's Heritage Inn in Dexter (between Ann Arbor and Chelsea). If you want game meat, that's the place to go. Venison, bear, elk, etc. , again creatively prepared. It's a little historic home and very charming, with white linens and expert staff. Super spot for a romantic dinner. Zingerman's does all sorts of stuff now. They have a Bakehouse on the south side of town to showcase their baked goods, and a new sit-down restaurant called the Roadhouse which is new enough to need a few kinks worked out before it comes up to par with the rest of Zingerman's offerings. Zing also now makes their own butter and cheese and gelato, the latter of which is uber-expensive but might just be worth it. Ann Arbor is a great town for eating. Lots of interesting and high quality restaurants here and in the surrounding communities.

Um, hi everybody! I'm brand new to eGullet, but Alex found me and pointed out this event to me. I'd love to come along, if y'all will have me. I'll be driving in from Ann Arbor and can only make it for the Saturday night dinner. I know I don't have a history of posts here, but if you'd like to know a little more about me, you can check my blog for some background. If that doesn't scare everyone off, then I look forward to meeting you all in a few weeks!

I was there last week too, with similar result and similar conclusion: they're sure to work out the kinks but they'll still be overpriced. I wrote a review of sorts here: http://blog.mittenartworks.com/archives/000316.php